Hay-stacker



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. G. W. BALL 8v T. DAVIS.

' HAY STAGKER.

N0. 265,560. A Patnted 0013.10, 1882.

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(No'Model.) -2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. W. BALL 8v T. DAVIS.

HAY STAGKBR.

No. 265,560. Patented oil'),`Y 1882..

brin/6666;: Ewewors Unire STATES ATENT Ormea.

CHARLES W. BALL AND THOMAS DAVIS, OF MACON, ILLINOIS.

HAY-STACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,560, dated October 10, 1882.

Application filed August 2,1882. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern Beit known that we, OHAs. W. BALL and THOMAS DAVIS, both of Macon,in the county of Macon and State of lllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hay-Stackers; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an apparatus for loading and stacking hay in the eld, and has for its object the construction of a simple efA fective device by which the hay carried to the machine by a field-rake and delivered directly upon an elevator upon one side will be automatically dumped therefrom upon the other side at any desired height from the level of the ground up to the extremetop of a stack.

It consists of a frame of suitable height, constructed to be drawn over the field upon runners forming part of its base, and Which is adapted to guide the vertical ascent and descent of a dumping-cradle formed of two sets of long teeth projecting at anangle with each other from the opposite sides of' a rock-shaft, so journaled into the end pieces of a suitable carriage or elevator made to move up and down between the posts ofthe main frame as that the cradle may tilt thereon from one side tothe other. The necessary movements ofthe cradle are produced by means of cords and pulleys, the whole being constructed and arranged as hereinafter more fully described.

1u the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation in perspective of our improved hay-stacker in one form thereof. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the machine in a plane transverse to the axis of the cradle.

pivoted therein, as shown in Fig. l. From the four corners of the solid bed-frame, at .or near the ends of its cross-beams, spring upright posts D D, which by preference, in order to secure sufficient strength with comparative lightness, are made of iron tubing. These support at a proper elevation a top frame, E E', constructed of longitudinal beams Eand crosspieces E', corresponding substantially to those of the bedframe beneath, although made lighter. The ends ot the cross-pieces E E are titted with pulleys C O', corresponding to tho te in the bed-frame. Y

Between the upright posts D D movable cross-beams F F are fitted to traverse freely up and down thereon,their ends heilig confined to the posts to move readily thereon by means ot' straps G G or other suitable device. The two traversing beams are connected to form an elevatorplatform by means of a heavy board or dat timber, H, (see cross-section thereof in Fig. 2,) which is placed at one end ofthe beams, so as to leave room for a central rockshaft, J, which' is journaled at each end in suitable bearings in the beams F F. This rockshait is armed upon one side with a series ot' lat radial hars, K K, adapted to rest upon the connecting-plate H of the platform, and upon the other with a counterpart series of long teeth or rods, L L, projecting radially at al1 angle of about one hundred and thirty degrees, more or less, with the radial bars K, the bars K and teeth L servingtogether to form a cradle for the reception of the hay to he elevated. The bars K are made so much heavier than the teeth L as to counter-balance them, and thus operate automatically to keep the latter in an by means of an adjustable cord, M, fastened at one end to one of the teeth and at the other to the side bar ofthe bottom frame, as shown in Fig. 2. The height at which the load shall be dumped is determined by the length ofrthis cord, which is adjusted for the purpose as occasion requires.

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To prevent the cradle from tipping over too far a slack rope, N, is led across from one side ofthe elevator-platform to the other under the teeth L, upon which they will rest when tipped, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The platform carrying the cradle is elevated by means of cords T T, led from each end thereot" over the pulleys C C on the top frame, and thence down under the pulleys C C in the bottom frame and out together upon the loading side of the machine, if the platform is to be elevated by the horses drawing the rake, or on the opposite side when one or more horses are used exclusively for working the platform.

To prevent a too rapid fall of the elevator and cradle after the load is dumped and thehoisting rope slackened, one or more counter-balanceweights,PP,inaybeemployed. Theseweights are suspended by mea-ns of cords Q Q, which are led from eaeh end of the platform over the pulleys upon the ends of a central longitudinal bar, t, secured on top of the frame-work.

The machine may be staked to the ground to steady it, and in case of heavy winds is braced by means of guy-ropes secured to pins driven in the ground.

An inclined apron may be hinged to the loading side of the lower fraine'to carry the raketeeth up to the level of the cradle.

In operation thehay is brought to thestacker with along tield-rake drawn by two horses, one at each end. The rake is drawn to the side of the stacker and the teeth run up the incline V in between the posts, while the horses pass along` the ends. When the rake is on the horses are turned about, ready to pull the rake back. The rake is then dumped into the cradle, and the ends ay a of the hoistingropes T T are fastened to the rake, so that as the horses move oit` they will pull upon the hoisting-ropes, and thus carry up the elevator'. As the elevator approaches the proper height t'or a discharge of its load the rope M, previously adjusted for the purpose, draws upon the teeth L of thecradle, causing it to tipovcr,

' as shown in Fig. 2, so that its load will slide ott' therefrom. The hoisting-ropes T T are then detached from the ralte,and the elevator will descend to its lower level, the weight of the bars K K serving to tip the cradle back to its tirst position.

When the elevator-platform is to be drawn up by a horse constantly hitched to the hoisting-ropes for this purpose alone the ropes are led out on the sideopposite to that upon which the rake is dumped, and in this case the colititerbalance-weights will not be needed, as the descent of the elevator will be regulated by the backing of the horse.

Instead ot' carrying` the hoisting-ropes from the four corners ofthe elevator over four pulleys on the top frame, as shown in Fig. 1, the ropes may be brought together at each end centrally from the corners and carried over a single central pulley upon the end of the top frame, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the modification of our invention illustrated in Fig. 4 the posts at each end are inclined toward each other, so that their upper ends shall meet, as shown in the drawings. These upper ends are connected by a single longitudinal top bar or beam, upon which are secured the pulleys carrying the hoistingropes. The end beams ot the elevator-platform are slot-ted longitudinally, (see Fig. 4,) to permit them to move up between the posts, and by placing a friction-roller to hear against the inner side of the upright 011 the loading side of the platform, the platform, as it rises, may be thrown out toward the stack or wagon upon which the hayis to be dumped, asis shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 4.

The ability to unload at any height is an iniportaut feature in our stacker, as it pcrmitsits use in windy weather, and enables the hay to be deposited evenly and systematically justas and where required.

Not only the upright posts, but also the principal parts of the frame, may, if preferred, be made of iron, and may also be jointed to t'old into a close compactform for transportation. Then found desirable, the bottom frame may be mounted onwheels insteadof runners, although the sled-bottom is found practically etiicient and is less expensive.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combina-tion, with a movable upright guiding and supporting frame, and with an elevator adapted to traverse vertically up and dow n between the postsot' said fraaie, of a rock shaft, J, carried by said elevatorand fitted with two sets ot' radial teeth, K L, projecting therefrom at an angle with each other more or less obtuse, to form a tiltingcradle which shall receive the hay on one side and deliver it auto matically on the other, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a hay-stacker. with a tilting cradle, J L K, and its elevator F 1I, ot' an adjustable cord, M, attached at one end to an arm or tooth of the cradle and at the other to the frame of the stacker, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein setfcrth.

3. The combination, in a l1ay-stacker,with a tiltingcradle, J L K, and its elevator F H, ot' an adjustable cord, N, extended and secured under the teeth L of the cradle, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our naines to this specitication in the presence ol' two subscribing` witnesses.

CHARLES V. BALL. THOMAS DAVIS.

Witnesses:

ISAAC Davis, Iton'r. Il. Wooncocit.

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